Metro Atlanta 2012Regional Transportation Referendum

(TSPLOST)

September 20-21, 2012

“Atlanta… we have a problem.”

• 3rd Fastest growing region (2000-10) yet 48th in transportation spending (SC, TN)

• MSA will add 3+ million residents by 2040

• Legislature unlikely to increase state motor fuel tax; (1971: 7.5₵ /gallon + 4% sales tax)

• Business community + others successfully lobbied for regional sales tax opportunity, following Denver, Charlotte, Phoenix, Seattle, etc.

TIA 2010 Basics:

• First regional tax referenda in Georgia history

• Entire state divided into 12 regions (3 passed)

• Local roundtables of elected officials created project lists for each region; 25% allocation to local govts (capital & operating eligible)

• 1% sales tax, 10-year term. (Excluded motor fuel, energy, autos*; included groceries, OTC drugs)

• Simple majority vote of the entire region

• “Penalties” for failure to pass; adopt project list

* First $5,000 subject to 1% tax

Roundtable meets to elect Executive Committee and approve regional criteria

Using the regional criteria as a guide, local governments submit projects to the director

Director compiles a list of example programs/projects based on submittals from local governments – the list is not fiscally constrained

Executive committee uses example program/project list to create Draft Investment List to be funded by estimated TSPLOST proceeds

After public input, regional roundtable meets to amend and approve the final transportation investment list

GDOT Planning Director submits recommended criteria for TSPLOST projects

1 2 3

4 5

7 8Upon approval of a list, election superintendents in all 10 counties are notified to call for vote on the transportation investment list and corresponding tax on the same date as 2012 general primary

HB 277: Transportation Investment Act of 2010Project/Program Selection Process

Summer 2010Winter 2010

Aug. 15, 2011

Oct. 15, 2011

Spring/Summer 2012

6Local governments, legislators and the ARC may submit comments on the draft investment list;

Two town halls must be held to receive public input.

Winter 2010

Final Project List

• Atlanta’s final project list contained 157 projects, totalling $6.1 billion.

• 52% transit; 48% roads, sidewalks, other

• $1.1 billion to be allocated to local govts.

• $600M to MARTA. $600M to BeltLine. New light rail. 2 major BRT corridors.

• Rebuild all major interstate interchanges (bottlenecks)

Community Collaboration

• As soon as HB 277 passed in 2010, a group of community and business organizations began meeting monthly: the “First Friday Group”

• Grew to 150+ members by summer 2012

• FFG Members agreed to educate their constituents (MAVEN) or advocate for passage (CTM)

First Friday Group - “YES” OrganizationsAmerican Concrete Pipe AssociationAmerican Council of Engineering CompaniesAmerican Institute of ArchitectsAmerican Society of Landscape ArchitectsAtlanta Apartment AssociationAtlanta Bicycle CoalitionAtlanta Board of RealtorsAtlanta Business League Atlanta Commercial Board of RealtorsAtlanta Metro Black Chamber of CommerceBuckhead Business AssociationBuckhead CoalitionBuckhead TMABuilding Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)Cherokee Chamber of CommerceCitizens for Progressive TransitClayton Chamber of CommerceCobb Chamber of CommerceCommercial Real Estate Women (CREW)Connect GwinnettConstruction Management Association of America (CMAA)Conyers-Rockdale ChamberCouncil of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)DeKalb Chamber of CommerceDouglas County Chamber of CommerceDunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Environment GeorgiaFayette Chamber of CommerceGeorgia Asphalt Paving AssociationGeorgia Chamber of CommerceGeorgia Concrete Paving AssociationGeorgia Concrete Products AssociationGeorgia Construction Aggregate AssociationGeorgia Engineering AllianceGeorgia Highway Contractors AssociationGeorgia Planning AssociationGeorgia Restaurant AssociationGeorgia Transit AssociationGeorgia Transportation AllianceGreater Atlanta Homebuilders AssociationGreater North Fulton Chamber of CommerceGreen Chamber of CommerceGwinnett Chamber of CommerceHealth Students Taking Action TogetherHenry County Chamber of CommerceHispanic Chamber of CommerceMetro Atlanta Chamber National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB)Perimeter Transportation and Sustainability CoalitionProgressive RedevelopmentPrecast Concrete Institute- Georgia and the CarolinasSouthern Bicycle LeagueSouthern Environmental Law Center

First Friday Group - Neutral OrganizationsAARPAmerican Jewish CommitteeAssociation County Commissioners of Georgia Atlanta Beltline Atlanta Community Food Bank Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education Atlanta Regional Health Forum Atlanta Urban League, Inc. Buckhead CID Central Atlanta ProgressCitizens for Progressive Transit Clayton State University Clean Air Campaign Coalition for People’s Agenda Conference of Minority Transit Officials (COMTO)Congress for the New Urbanism Council for Quality Growth Cumberland CID Decatur Seventh-day Adventist Church Downtown TMA/Downtown Green Space Emory University Evermore CIDFamilies First Georgia Conservancy Georgia Conservation Voters Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Georgia Department of TransportationGeorgia Municipal Association

Georgians for Passenger Rail Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Gwinnett Place CID Gwinnett Unity Group Gwinnett Village CID Hispanic Chamber of Commerce LEAD Atlanta Class of 2011Leadership AtlantaLeadership DeKalbLeague of Women Voters of GeorgiaLilburn CIDLindbergh LaVista Corridor CoalitionLivable Communities CoalitionMARTAMicah Rowland of NPU-V/R2LMidtown AllianceMothers and Others for Clean AirNorth Fulton CID Partnership for Southern Equity Perimeter CID Regional Business Coalition Regional Leadership Institute Revive Atlanta, Inc. Southface Energy Institute Statewide Independent Living Council of GA (SILC of GA) Sustainable AtlantaThe Civic League Town Center CID Trust for Public LandUrban Land Institute

“MAVEN” 501(c)3

• Non-partisan• Neutral EDUCATION• Contributions are

tax-deductible• Donors included

CID’s, universities, hospitals, private foundations, individuals

“CTM” 501(c)4• ADVOCACY &

PERSUASION• Contributions are

NOT tax-deductible• Donors included

public and private companies, PACs, individuals, etc.

Baseline Polling (May, 2011)

• 87% agreed that “traffic in metro Atlanta has gotten so bad that we must do something about it.”

• 71% said “they’d use transit if it were more convenient” to work or residence (this rose to 77% in Dec, 2011)

Baseline Polling (May, 2011)

• Based on responses to a standard ‘taxpayer burden’ poll question, a very high percentage of voters in the Atlanta region (35%) are on the brink of ‘tax revolt,’ with close to 40% of many segments saying their taxes are ‘MUCH’ too high

• Even in this recession, this is an extraordinarily high level of tax sensitivity, especially for a relatively affluent population like the Atlanta region.

• Consistent among all demographics, D’s and R’s

Baseline Polling (May, 2011)

• In order for this referendum to pass, the campaign must convincingly connect passage with the voters’ top priority of job creation and retention.

Polling (Dec, 2011)

• 78% agreed with “Unless the Metro Atlanta region begins to do something about traffic congestion, we may lose jobs & economic investment to cities with less congestion & traffic.

• Given the chance to make our case, voters moved our direction.

Polling (May 2011)

• A large number of likely voters remained in the swing category very late. We questioned whether they would actually turn out.

• As the absentee and early voting numbers came in, we realized the race could not be polled accurately because of the historic turnout by infrequent and first-time voters: 675,000 actual vs. 400,000 projected

“Untie Atlanta Campaign” structure

• 7-member Board of Directors• Multiple consultants, hiring started 15 months

out• Mix of full-time and part-time employees• c(4) CTM: $6.8 million budget (78% on voter

contact)• c(3) MAVEN: $2.3 million budget

Voter Contact

• Targeted mail (1.3M+ pieces; 20k handwritten postcards)

• Social Media, web/online (28M+ impressions)• Broadcast (network, cable, radio)• Corporate program (350+ companies)• Outdoor (100+ boards)• Field teams (26 FTEs)• Speakers bureau (800+ presentations)• Phones (2 million robocalls, 300k personal)

Key Messaging

• Less Traffic, More Jobs, Get Home Faster• Need to keep Atlanta a Competitive Place that

can create jobs• Need to take steps toward a modern, clean

and fast transit system for the entire region

Organized Opposition

• Political activists (county GOPs, tea parties)• Sierra Club of Atlanta (not Georgia)• NAACP of DeKalb (not Georgia)• Variety of legislators (several of whom voted

for TIA 2010)• Variety of radio talk hosts, one local newspaper

• Song (play)• Strange Bedfellows• Elected Officials

Perfect Storm:

• Historically Poor Economy– Case-Shiller Index: metro Atlanta home values are

down 35.63% since peak in 2007• Lack of Trust in government• First Regional Referenda for Georgia• Complex Issue• Large, Diverse Region (45% of GA population)

Atlanta makes choice to

help

Metro Denver grow jobs

Transportation Referendum Failure Leaves Atlanta Transit’s Future Uncertain

Atlanta’s Bad Traffic Situation Is About to Get Worse

Metro Atlanta’s Sales Tax “Savings” Will Come at a High Price

Moody’s awards metro Atlanta a

‘credit negative’ for TSPLOST failure

Charlotte goal: Steer clear of Atlanta transit fate

AUG 1 2012 06:17 AM

It’s the Economy…

Reflections

• Was the metro Atlanta region too large?– Sub-regions?

• Did the project selection process produce a list that was too complex?

• Was the tax too expensive? Would a fractional penny have fared better?

• What about the timing:– Election date– Project selection --> Campaign –> Elections

Future Considerations

• Election timing• Economic conditions• Scope of Tax: amount, term, exemptions, etc.• Engage citizens in plan/project list development• Project list- what’s in for me?• Keep it simple• Tie spending on infrastructure directly to jobs• Work proactively with the media, mass influencers

Dave WilliamsMetro Atlanta Chamber

770-846-9000dwilliams@macoc.com